The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-07-03
IN THE CROWD ON THE MALL.
As1RoJL AMONG THE THOUSANDS WHO
90 TO HEAR THE BAND PLAK.


Two skiirui Girl. Sat Down on tho Grass.
The greatest summer resort In this city Is
the Mall In Central Park on a Sunday after
noon. Tho especial attraction is tho band
concert, and It brings out thousands and thou
sands OF people. who are perfectly contented,
apparently, with the recreation and amuse-
ment afforded by 1t. After wandering through
the crowd for several minutes last Sunday In
the vain endeavor to get mn estimate OF the
number present. tho reporter approached an
old Park policeman, and asked him II he had
ever tried to think how many people attended
the concert OF Sunday afternoon. Ho put his
right elbow In the palm OF his hand. shook his
whjte-gloved finger ut the questioner, and
responded,
mo. I didn't, and It would be dom hard to
toll"
Would II be safo to say that $4,000 people
arc here to-day7"
'Yes.r was the ready reply. II would say at
least that"
"Are there any whose faces are to be seen
here every Sunday"
WELL" no replied, with smile. as to that
! can say yes, but with 30 many people here It
would hardly be expected that policeman
would recolect the regular attendants as old
friends; however, can point out few who
arc hero every Sunday. Como this way" and
no led the writer to point directly opposite
the band stand where the jam was the thick
est. With dellcacy not always to be met with
In policeman. he said" don't want to point,
but II you look directly In front Of you, on the
bench there, ct that old man who has tho paper
in his lap and spoctacles on his nose. you will
see one who is here every Sunday. and he al
ways gets that scat or ono next to 1t. Just us
soon as the Sunday concert season opens he
L.. H. n Il
30 anxious is he to get good place. He is ono
OF the very few who undoubtedly come
here to hear tho music. or course 1t Is the
music that attracts the rest, but he comes here
for the music Alone He always listens while
the band is playing and applauds when the
piece is concluded: and when the small boys
run about and shoutiin their play near By. he
scowls, and II laxative people happen to sit
next to him he scowls again. and sometimes
he goes so far rs to ask them II they will NO.
keep still during the music"
The policeman then led the way to q shady
spot Just south Of the band stand. where the
people stood thick upon the grass.
Il don't doubt" he said. that there are
hundreds all about US who come out here
every Sunday. but the only ones that recog-
nze Just at this moment are the two who sit
on the grass against that tree there"
The policeman should have said three. for
the group consisted OF man. his wife. and q
baby. The man had Q paper on his lap. and
his head was dropping upon his breast; evil
awake. and the mother was apparently having
iirst,rate time in taking care of It. Now and
the band stand not very far away as II some
particular strain OF music had pleased her
than anoher ana then she turned her
They are here every Sunday. are they ."
asked the reporter. .,u
any who eome TRey " dot TIT try S get bench
e a tree or
prefer the grass to the benches"
that call for the intervention Of the policemen"
Very rarely. OF course, in such great
TO SEQ that the walks are Kept cIea but be-
yond that we have little to do. Now and then
some drunken loafer finds his way here and
get him out of the way. There's an opportunity
FOR me to show you lust about what we have to
throneh HE crowd with the writer at s his heels.
He went to the walk In front OF the band stand.
INT pGns w5e the bs crowd was standing
You can't smoke hero. SIR"
The officer pointed to a sign that was sus-
Eended from wire that ran from tree to tree.
side this line" There we're several eve such signs
e at FSs at be ahs saRd
notice that % a Da I'D Know
Just where to draw the line"
mont upon the matter, and told the man he
must get outside at any rate. and he showed
hex sSSa Ss SsGPa si s
piled good naturally. and stepped back q few
PAGES From that point the smoke curling out
70 the spot from which he had Just come. but
there CIV was no lay to prevent that. The effect
e tine the e ns ee s09 a ans
much, but the law was complied with;
tra9rdinariIy fat man. who seemed to have ab:
sorbed La al the heat q The day Il. looked as
qed lis sae was over %ss
the Sexsry. At s tho other S Side vas - youne
typical dude but he was not that ct all: he was
simply ccEk yhq had Put all his
THIS lot was listening to the music, apparently.
In fact the only one In the whole crowd who
seemed to be listening to the music WAS the old
regular attendant Nevertheless, when the last
pote Of Rossinis overture to the Stabat Mater
on al sas 81 ban
ftand. It is evident. therefore, that the people
hsard the mase even though they did not
Rlaase that followed . medley from Handai's
favor than tho Rossini selection.
While the reporter was noting the faculty Of
acfowd to do two things at once. that is, talk
and play and listen to music. young man, ae-
eompanied by two unusually pretty girls. both
grass.
hu,fs sa sid he, "lets take it cas-, Twon't
One Of the girls said well, don't mind"
fnd Immediately sank down upon the grass
half turn Of her body vigorously from tho loft
20 the right made her skirts settle themselves
upon her feet In such a way that no more than
tns bare sole Of her shoe was visible. Tho
other girl was In a quandary. Sho knew her
iournuro was liable to get badly disarranged
IN the operation. She Also knew that It Is no
easy matter for O. young woman TO Sly down
upon the grass and not expose more OF herself
IMAM the laws OF propriety allow, and she
saw that her companion had sunk into an
qndignitied although eomto5tabls posdti On
maintain her dignity and the correct position
Oh her tournure. or should she take the risk
Pie folded her ,sunshade, held II In her right